BILL-PARTIES 2 LAST

Before the ordinance was promulgated, the age of consent Before the ordinance was promulgated, the age of consent was 16. It has been at 16 years for the past 30 years. Before that, the age of consent for sex was considered by the age of puberty which had created confusion, forcing government to fix it at 16. The Bill had provisions for safeguard against misuse. But the GoM to which it was referred to decided to drop it, maintaining the existing provisions in IPC have sufficient safeguards. "Some political leaders said the law could be misused ahead of Lok Sabha elections. They wanted safeguards to be specified," a Minister, who attended the meeting, said. The Criminal Laws Ordinance, which made anti-rape laws more stringent, was promulgated by the President on February 3 in the wake of public outrage over the December 16 Delhi gangrape. PTI RC NAB AMR SC